Surviving Shock

In the first hundred days of a second Trump administration, the public has been overwhelmed with a constant influx of new and increasingly devastating information almost every waking day. To recap, President Trump has already banned trans athletes from women’s sports, enacted bans on gender-affirming care, attacked DEIA initiatives, attacked reproductive rights, attempted to end birth-right citizenship, inspired extremist in-state policy, encouraged funding cuts to non-profit advocacy groups, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

TLDR: President Trump is doing a lot to overwhelm the mass public and undermine our freedoms at a breakneck speed. 

While jarring to experience, this political strategy of firing on all cylinders non-stop is not a new or unique strategy. The parallels between the tactics of the Trump administration month one and the Machiavellian military strategy of delivering a decisive blow of force “all at once” to quickly subdue the enemy reflect each other identically (Machiavelli, The Art of War, 1521).  

But make no mistake, President Trump is no expert in the art of war or a military strategist. He is simply replicating what he’s seen work before.  

History tells us that widespread shock and horror is actually an exciting opportunity for the wealthy 1% to get richer. “The Shock Doctrine” author Naomi Klein coined the term “disaster capitalism” in 2007 in part reaction to analysis of the Iraq War as “orchestrated raids on the public sphere in the wake of catastrophic events, combined with the treatment of disasters as exciting market opportunities.” Essentially, by shocking the mass public via constant propaganda, terror, and generally upsetting news, the public will be subdued enough to return to a child-like state, accepting of shock therapy treatments deemed effective by those profiting off said treatment. In the wake of events like natural disasters, war, economic strife, while the public is still torn between flight or fight, pause democracy and push through extremist policies that only serve to benefit the 1% under the guise of treating the issue at hand. This was clearly demonstrated in the U.S.-supported coup in Chile of the 1970s that overthrew then-President Salvador Allende, which ultimately allowed for  increased privatization and market liberalization, and a military dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet would go on to commit mass torture and political repression under his regime. Klein also points to domestic examples such as the technocrat oligarchy in reaction to the Great Depression, as well as the hordes of private military contractors who descended upon New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to profit from the destruction.  

While the implications of a disaster capitalism tactic are horrifying, it is ultimately just that: a tactic. There are methods to defeat it because, as Klein tells us, “Shock wears off.” There are tactics we can implement at the individual and local level to snap our peers out of shock and into their communities so we can all be prepared before the next shock hits -- below are 4 steps you can take to help you harness your locus of control and become shock resistant.  

1. Choose your issue or only a few issues. 
2. Research your issue. 
3. Organize around your issue. 
4. Work through legislative channels to enact sustainable policy reform around your issue. 

1. Choose your issue(s): Focus on only one or a couple of issues that are cause for concern in your community that you can make sustainable impact on.  

When the shock doctrine was first demonstrated in Chile, dictator General Augusto Pinochet implemented rapid-fire economic changes all at once, including tax cuts, free trade, privatized services, cuts to social spending and deregulation with the goal of overwhelming the mass public until they don’t know where to look.

Similarly, the Trump administration has ruthlessly attacked every issue important to the public, from trans healthcare to immigrant rights. Don’t let them distract you. Remember that your greatest power is here, in your own town, community, or state. Here are some questions you can begin to ask yourself to narrow down your issue focus. 

• What is causing hardship in my local community? 
• What is negatively impacting people I know personally? 
• What issue has been on my mind recently that I could begin to address while staying in my community? 

2. Research your issue: Arm yourself with the knowledge necessary to defend your issue.  

As the Shock Doctrine movie reminds us, “The best way to stay oriented, to resist shock, is to know what is happening to you and why" (2007). Catastrophic events are largely not the result of a conspiracy or random happenstance. Most of the time there is policy or some action we can point to as the catalyst of mass atrocities or civil rights violations. Naomi Klein emphasizes that “All shock therapists are intent on the erasure of memory.” By keeping the mass public ignorant of our history, we doom ourselves to repeat it. Here are some questions you can ask yourself when researching the history of your issue. 

• What/who are they trying to get you to forget?  
• Where else has reform on this issue been replicated? When? By whom?  
• What resources are available at my local library/bookstore? 
• What is the context of my issue in my community? Why did this happen? Have there been other attempts at reform prior? What did they accomplish and how? 
• Who is most impacted by your chosen issue? 

3. Organize around your issue: Find your political home. Almost always, there are already organizers in your own community who have been working for years, decades—even generations!—to solve the problems we see around us. Let the issues you care about drive you, but stay open and curious. You might find folks in your own community who have a plan for change on an issue you weren't aware of yet. Here at the ACLU of Kansas, you can find your political home in us by signing up here. 

“Once the mechanics of the shock doctrine are deeply and collectively understood, whole communities become harder to take by surprise, more difficult to confuse – shock resistant.” – Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine (2007)  

Here are some questions you can ask yourself when building resistance in your own communities: 

• Who can I partner with to help me accomplish my desired goals? 
• Who are the local advocacy leaders in your community? 
• What leaders/representatives in my community should be held accountable to my issue? 
• How can I spread the word about my issue? What’s the best strategy for my community/issue? 
• Ask how you can help. After you've found a place to focus your energy, offer your time and talents. Consider ways you can participate in the long haul and sustain yourself beyond these moments of shock—organizing is forever. Consider how you can take care of yourself so that you're in this fight for the many years ahead. 
• Who can I bring in? What a lot of organizing projects need most is simple: more people to share the load! Invite your friends, family, and neighborhood networks into your political home. Relationships are often how people join, and stay in the work of organizing. 

4. Work through legislative channels to enact policy reform around your issue: Follow through on the policy reforms and other changes you wish to see in your community.

In 2007, a small community in the New Orleans public housing projects came together to rebuild despite plans by the Bush administration to demolish old homes and public housing effected by Hurricane Katrina. In physically repairing their community, community members were also able to reinforce their community and build resilience for when the next shock hits. Here are some questions to ask yourself when building long-term resilience for your chosen issue and community:   

• Does this call for a lawsuit or other form of advocacy? 
• Who are the leaders/local orgs that I can join to institute policy reform? 

• Who is your opposition and who are your supporters?

• What is needed to enshrine protections for this issue? What is needed for funding? 

One thing we can depend on from history is the fact that shock doctrine tactics like the one we’re seeing now with the second Trump administration are doomed to fail. “Any strategy based on exploiting the window of opportunity opened by a traumatic shock relies heavily on the element of surprise,” says Klein. By taking individual and community-based approaches to harnessing your locus of control, can build resilience with your community and anticipate attacks -- and become shock-proof.